Public Sector 
We recognize that federal agencies face a wide range of cyber threats in today's hybrid and cloud work environment, which requires securing multiple endpoints. From nation-states
The public sector continues to be a target for cybercriminals as ransomware attacks and data breaches hit government organizations at all levels, incurring large financial costs and operational disruptions. The public sector is especially vulnerable to cyber attacks for a variety of reasons, including legacy systems, lack of resources, large amounts of sensitive data and the fact that it manages essential services.
Unfortunately we’ve seen several examples of ransomware attacks in the last quarter that have taken systems offline, with some taking weeks to completely recover. Below are just a few examples of the damage cyber attacks can do to a government organization.
New York City Payroll Website
New York City was forced to take its city payroll website offline for over a week after dealing with a phishing incident. The smishing campaign involved SMS text messages sent to city workers asking them to activate multi-factor authentication, with a link to a phishing domain. This happened right before the April 15 tax deadline, limiting access to essential forms for the city’s 300,000 employees.
Hernando County, Florida
Hernando County in Florida had to take several websites offline for weeks after an April ransomware attack. Offices could only accept paper applications for building and zoning permits. Online payments were not available for water bills, and operations for the county’s property appraiser, the clerk of court’s office and the zoning department were down. As the days went on, Hernando County gradually began to bring services back online, but it took weeks before everything was fully restored.
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County, Missouri also experienced a ransomware attack in April, which closed the Jackson County assessment, collection and recorder of deeds offices. County staff were unable to access networks and information tied to the tax payment, online property, marriage license and inmate search systems. According to Jackson County officials, a phishing scam led to the ransomware attack.
The attack caused other county offices to close for several days, creating frustration for many residents. This attack comes on the heels of recent cyber attacks targeting the Kansas City Area Transit Authority and the Kansas state court system which were also hit in recent months.
St. Helena, California
The City of St. Helena in California suffered a cyber attack in May that caused officials to shut down the city’s computer systems and temporarily close the public library. All city servers and computers were taken offline for several days, and city emails were inaccessible.
City officials noted in a press release that the city has over 25 different systems, some of which house sensitive data for employees, businesses and residents. Officials also noted at the time that while the city regularly backs up all of its files as part of its cybersecurity plan, “it will most likely be 24 to 72 hours before the cybersecurity experts can clear the systems and restore the backed-up files.”
Centerline Public Schools, Michigan
Centerline Public Schools in Michigan canceled a full day of classes on May 28 after being hit by a ransomware attack. The district stated that all electronic communication systems were impacted by the attack, including telephones, security cameras, food service applications, Wi-Fi and all educational software.
Families were notified about the incident after it occurred, and several parents of students in the district noted concern over student data being at risk. The school district is still working with federal investigators to determine where the attack came from and how much information may have been compromised.
Protect against ransomware attacks with Keeper Security Government Cloud
68% of data breaches involve the human element, with a majority due to weak or stolen passwords, credentials and secrets. Keeper Security Government Cloud (KSGC) password manager and privileged access manager protects organizations of all sizes against ransomware and cyber threats.
KSGC utilizes a zero-trust and zero-knowledge security architecture, along with delegated administration and role-based enforcement policies, to provide system administrators with complete visibility and control over identity security and risks within their organization.
To learn more about how KSGC can protect your organization against cyber attacks, request a demo today.
